§ Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the need to conserve manpower to meet the requirements of the rearmament programme, he will direct the Treasury to issue instructions to Departments to discontinue the policy of automatically retiring employees on reaching 65 years of age; and whether he will seek the co-operation of industry and particularly of the nationalised industries in this matter.
§ The Prime MinisterThe standing instructions to Government Departments provide that they should continue to employ men and women beyond the normal retiring age in all cases where they are willing to remain and are fully fit and efficient in their grade and where there is a real need to retain their services.
I have no doubt that the nationalised industries, like industry generally, are aware of the requests for similar action made from time to time by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service.